That Baby: A Small Town, Friends-to-Lovers Romance (That Boy Series Book 3)

“Phillip! You’re finally home!” I say as he steps into the house. I grab his hand and drag him into the nursery. “I need your help!”

“Well, my first piece of advice would be to paint the walls all one color,” he jokes, scanning the nine different squares of blue painted on the walls.

“Very funny. Tell me which one is your favorite.”

“Uh,” he says, his eyes moving from swatch to swatch. “Can I be honest?”

“Yes, I want your honest opinion.”

“They all look the same to me.”

“Phillip, they aren’t the same!” I point to the color closest to me. “Like this one, see how it’s more blue? Almost a baby blue?”

“Mmhmm.”

“And, this one, see how it’s got a more yellow undertone, and it’s a little more aqua-colored?”

“Okay,” Phillip says. “Which one is your favorite?”

“No, I want you to tell me which one is your favorite.”

Phillip starts fidgeting.

“Do they really all look the same to you?”

“They all look blue,” he says. “But, okay, this one looks too baby blue, which I don’t think we want since it’s supposed to be gender neutral, right?”

“Yes! Keep going.”

“This one looks really washed out. This one, here,” he says, pointing to my favorite, “is more gray. Isn’t that what you want?”

“That’s my favorite. Do you like it?”

He pulls me toward him, my bump hitting his stomach. “You’re my favorite,” he says. “I can’t believe you picked out all these colors.”

“I want the perfect shade, Phillip.”

“That’s part of why I love you. We’re getting close though, and so far, we haven’t made much progress in here. All we have is the changing table and a whole lot of clothes. Will it be done in time?”

“I hope so. The painters will be here this week. I’ve ordered the crib. I’ve got more swatches coming in for the rocking chair, but I needed to choose the paint color before I made a final decision. I ordered the chandelier, and when the electrician installs it and the twinkle lights, he’s going to add a dimmer. I have some curtains picked out, but I am waiting to decide which color pom-poms I want on the edges of it. I still need to find a rug …”

Phillip laughs. “Okay, I got it. You still have a lot to do.”

“Yeah, but even if it’s not completely ready in time, that’s okay. The first few weeks, the baby will sleep in its bassinet in our room. Trust me, the crib is so gorgeous; it’s worth the wait.”

“I’m sure it will be. What is that big box in the garage?”

“Oh my gosh, Phillip. Your mom is going crazy, buying stuff for the baby. That is a Little Tikes play kitchen. It’s for ages two and up.”

“There’s more than just a kitchen. I could barely get my car in.”

“Yes, we’re going to have to find a home for all the toys she’s buying. There’s a slide and a basketball hoop, too. I’m thinking we’re going to need a playroom.”

“Where do you want to put it?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to decide. You want a playroom close to where you’re going to be. So, most people want them by their kitchen, so they can cook and stuff while the kids play. Once we have kids, I’m going to want to work from home, so it would make the most sense to have it upstairs by my office. But I don’t want to take up another one of the bedrooms, especially if we really do want four or five kids. It’d just be a short-term solution. So, I was thinking, we have that big room down in the basement that we’re not doing anything with right now.”

“That’s supposed to be my future home theater,” Phillip says tentatively.

“I know, but what if we eventually finished the storage space under the garage instead? It’s got a lower ceiling, and it’s all concrete. The acoustics will be amazing. And we spend a ton of time in the basement. So, while we have our friends over to watch football, the kids could be in the next room, playing. There are French doors out to the backyard, so when they are older, they can go outside and play, and I’ll still be able to keep an eye on them.”

“So, you want to make that room both your office and a playroom?”

“Exactly. It’s not something we need to do right away though.”

“Actually, I’d prefer to do it now while we’re not busy with a baby. What do you want to do with the room? Have you thought about it?”

I can’t help but chuckle.

He grins. “Of course you have. Did you draw it up for me?”

I drag him downstairs, get him a beer, sit him at the island, and run to grab my dream-house book.

“Ahh!” I scream. “Oh shit!”

Phillip comes rushing into the laundry room. “What’s wrong?”

I point at the gnome, whose head is sticking out of my tote bag.

Phillip’s face breaks into a wide grin.

“Why are you smiling?” I glare at him. “Did you put it there? You can’t do that! I’ve heard pregnant women can pee if they get scared!”

“I didn’t do it.”

“Then, why do you look like that cat who just ate the canary?”

“Danny must have done it before he left for training camp. It’s been a while since we’ve played the gnome game. I think it’s a good sign. Like maybe he’s getting back to normal.”

“Gosh, I sure hope so.”